Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A computer-implemented method for scheduling tasks in a calendar of a user, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of task entries from a user; ranking the plurality of task entries based on a deadline of each of the task entries; determining a length of time required to complete each task entry; receiving time constraint information associated with each task entry, wherein the time constraint information is based on a type of task of each task entry and includes at least one of: a maximum length of time for a single time-consuming calendar entry for each task entry, a minimum length of time between a last time-consuming calendar entry for each task entry and the deadline of the respective task entry, a maximum number of separate time-consuming calendar entries for each task entry, or a minimum number of separate time-consuming calendar entries for each task entry; creating, by one or more processors, a time-consuming calendar entry for each task entry in the calendar of the user based on the ranking of each task entry, the determined length of time required to complete each task entry, the time constraint information associated with each task entry, and existing calendar entries in the calendar of the user; and providing the created time-consuming calendar entries to the user.
The system schedules tasks on a user's calendar. It receives a list of tasks, ranks them by deadline, and figures out how long each task takes. It also considers time constraints for each task type (e.g., maximum event length, minimum time between event and deadline, maximum/minimum number of calendar entries). Based on the ranking, estimated time, time constraints, and existing calendar entries, it creates new time-consuming calendar entries and displays them to the user.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: creating a plurality of time-consuming calendar entries for one of the plurality of task entries, wherein the determined length of time required to complete the one of the plurality of task entries is divided among the plurality of time-consuming calendar entries.
Building on the basic calendar scheduling, if a task needs a long time to complete, the system can split it into multiple time-consuming calendar entries. Instead of creating one long event, the estimated task duration is divided into several smaller events that fit better into the user's schedule.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the length of time required to complete each task entry is determined based on historical task completion information.
A system and method for optimizing task scheduling and resource allocation in project management or workflow automation. The invention addresses inefficiencies in task estimation, where inaccurate time predictions lead to delays, resource mismatches, or missed deadlines. The method involves analyzing historical task completion data to determine the length of time required for each task entry. This historical data includes past task durations, completion rates, and resource utilization patterns. By leveraging this data, the system dynamically adjusts task duration estimates, improving scheduling accuracy. The method may also incorporate task dependencies, resource availability, and priority levels to refine predictions. The goal is to enhance project planning by reducing estimation errors and ensuring realistic timelines. This approach is particularly useful in industries like software development, manufacturing, and healthcare, where precise task duration forecasting is critical for efficiency and cost control. The system may integrate with existing project management tools or standalone applications to provide automated or user-assisted scheduling adjustments. The invention improves upon traditional methods that rely on static estimates or subjective guesses, offering a data-driven solution for more reliable project execution.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the length of time required to complete each task entry is determined based on user provided data.
In the calendar scheduling system, the time needed for a task is determined by the user. Instead of estimating the time using historical data, the system lets the user specify how long they think a task will take.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: creating a new time-consuming calendar entry for one of the plurality of task entries if an original time-consuming calendar entry for the task entry passes without completion of the task entry.
With the calendar scheduling, if a user doesn't finish a task during its initially scheduled time-consuming calendar entry, the system automatically creates a new, additional time-consuming calendar entry for the same task. This helps ensure the task gets completed even if the user falls behind schedule.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: adjusting the time-consuming calendar entry for one of the plurality of task entries based on a change in data associated with the task entry.
The calendar scheduling system can dynamically adjust time-consuming calendar entries when task details change. If a task's deadline is moved, or the estimated time to complete it changes, the system automatically updates the corresponding time-consuming calendar entries in the calendar.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: notifying the user if a time-consuming calendar entry cannot be created based on the determined length of time required to complete the task entry, the deadline associated with the task entry, and existing calendar entries in the calendar.
The calendar scheduling system will alert the user if it cannot schedule a time-consuming calendar entry. This happens when the estimated time to complete the task, its deadline, and existing calendar entries make it impossible to find a suitable time slot. The user is notified about the scheduling conflict.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: providing the created time-consuming calendar entries for display in the calendar of the user, wherein the created time-consuming calendar entries are visually distinct from other calendar entries in the calendar of the user.
The created time-consuming calendar entries in the calendar scheduling system are displayed in a visually distinct way. They look different from normal calendar entries, making them easy for the user to identify. This might involve using a different color, icon, or font.
9. A system for scheduling tasks in a calendar of a user, the system comprising: one or more processors; and a memory containing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to: receive a task entry from a user; determine a deadline of the task entry; determine a length of time required to complete the task entry; receive time constraint information associated with the task entry, wherein the time constraint information is based on a type of task of the task entry and includes at least one of: a maximum length of time for a single time-consuming calendar entry for the task entry, a minimum length of time between a last time-consuming calendar entry for the task entry and a deadline of the task entry, a maximum number of separate time-consuming calendar entries for the task entry, or a minimum number of separate time-consuming calendar entries for the task entry; create a time-consuming calendar entry in the calendar of the user based on the determined length of time required to complete the task entry, the deadline of the task entry, the time constraint information associated with the task entry, and existing calendar entries in the calendar of the user; and provide the created time-consuming calendar entry for display to the user, wherein the created time-consuming calendar entry is visually distinct from other calendar entries in the calendar of the user.
The system automatically schedules tasks on a user's calendar. It receives a task, its deadline, and how long it will take. It considers time constraints specific to the task type (e.g., max event length, min time before deadline, max/min number of events). It then generates a visually distinct time-consuming calendar entry, considering the task's length, deadline, time constraints, and existing appointments, and displays it to the user.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system is further caused to: create a plurality of time-consuming calendar entries for the task entry, wherein the determined length of time required to complete the task entry is divided among the plurality of time-consuming calendar entries.
The system for calendar scheduling described previously can create multiple time-consuming calendar entries for a single task. If the task requires a significant amount of time, the system divides the total time needed into smaller blocks and schedules multiple time-consuming calendar entries accordingly.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the length of time required to complete the task entry is determined based on historical task completion information.
The system uses historical task completion data to estimate how long a new task will take. The system analyzes past performance on similar tasks to predict the required time, leading to more accurate time-consuming calendar entries.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the length of time required to complete the task entry is determined based on user provided data.
The system relies on user-provided data to determine the duration of a task. The user explicitly specifies the estimated time required to complete the task, and the system uses that information for time-consuming calendar entry scheduling.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system is further caused to: create a new time-consuming calendar entry for the task entry if an original time-consuming calendar entry for the task entry passes without completion of the task entry.
If a time-consuming calendar entry for a task passes without the task being completed, the system automatically creates a new time-consuming calendar entry for that task. This ensures the task remains on the user's schedule until it is finished.
14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system is further caused to: notify the user if a time-consuming calendar entry cannot be created based on the determined length of time required to complete the task entry, a deadline associated with the task entry, and existing calendar entries in the calendar.
The system notifies the user if it cannot create a time-consuming calendar entry. This occurs when the task's required time, deadline, and existing calendar conflicts make scheduling impossible, informing the user about the issue.
15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing machine-executable instructions for causing a processor to perform a method for scheduling tasks in a calendar of a user, the method comprising: receiving a task entry from a user; determining a length of time required to complete the task entry; receiving time constraint information associated with the task entry, wherein the time constraint information is based on a type of task of the task entry and includes at least one of: a maximum length of time for a single time-consuming calendar entry for the task entry, a minimum length of time between a last time-consuming calendar entry for the task entry and a deadline of the task entry, a maximum number of separate time-consuming calendar entries for the task entry, or a minimum number of separate time-consuming calendar entries for the task entry; creating a time-consuming calendar entry for the task entry in the calendar of the user based on the determined length of time required to complete the task entry, the time constraint information associated with the task entry, and existing calendar entries in the calendar of the user; and providing the created time-consuming calendar entry to the user.
This is a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions for scheduling tasks in a user's calendar. The instructions, when executed, cause the system to: receive a task, determine how long it will take, and get task type constraints (e.g., max event length, min time before deadline, max/min number of events). It creates a time-consuming calendar entry based on the task's length, time constraints, and existing appointments and presents this time-consuming calendar entry to the user.
16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising: creating a plurality of time-consuming calendar entries for the task entry, wherein the determined length of time required to complete the task entry is divided among the plurality of time-consuming calendar entries.
The calendar scheduling system stored on the medium previously described can also create multiple time-consuming calendar entries for a single task. The total task time is split into smaller chunks, each represented by its own time-consuming calendar entry.
17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the length of time required to complete the task entry is determined based on historical task completion information.
The time needed for the task is estimated using historical data of similar tasks. This learning approach improves prediction accuracy for the time-consuming calendar entries. Instructions for this are stored on the described medium.
18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the length of time required to complete the task entry is determined based on user provided data.
The time needed for the task is estimated by the user. These data are used to determine the length of the time-consuming calendar entry. The instructions for obtaining the user data and building the calendar entry are stored on the described medium.
19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising: creating a new time-consuming calendar entry for the task entry if an original time-consuming calendar entry for the task entry passes without completion of the task entry.
If a time-consuming calendar entry passes without the task being completed, a new time-consuming calendar entry is created and added to the user's calendar automatically. The instructions to handle these scenarios are stored on the described medium.
20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising: adjusting the time-consuming calendar entry based on a change in data associated with the task entry.
The system will adjust a time-consuming calendar entry if the task requirements change, for example, if the task deadline is changed or the estimated length of time it will take to complete the task has changed. The instructions to handle these scenarios are stored on the described medium.
21. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising: notifying the user if a time-consuming calendar entry cannot be created based on the determined length of time required to complete the task entry, a deadline associated with the task entry, and existing calendar entries in the calendar.
The system notifies the user if it is unable to create a time-consuming calendar entry due to conflicting deadlines or pre-existing meetings. Instructions for triggering these alerts based on scheduling conflicts are stored on the described medium.
22. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising: ranking the task entry against another task entry based on a respective deadline of each task entry prior to creating the time-consuming calendar entry; and creating a time-consuming calendar entry for the task entry based on the ranking of the task entry.
The calendar entry creation process first ranks the incoming task against other tasks based on their respective deadlines. The time-consuming calendar entry is created based on this rank. The instructions to perform this sorting and ranking are stored on the medium previously described.
23. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the created time-consuming calendar entry is hidden from view of others viewing the calendar of the user.
The created time-consuming calendar entry can be configured to be hidden from other users that have access to the calendar. This privacy measure ensures that only the owner of the calendar is aware of this time-consuming calendar entry. The instructions to hide time-consuming calendar entries are stored on the described medium.
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October 14, 2014
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